1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Plasma Display Panel (PDP), and more particularly, to a Micro Discharge (MD) PDP, which includes a dielectric layer having a plurality of dielectric-layer perforated holes arranged in a matrix and electrode layers provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the dielectric layer and having a plurality of electrode-layer perforated holes corresponding to the dielectric-layer perforated holes.
2. Description of the Related Art
A Plasma Display Panel (PDP) is formed by forming barrier ribs and electrodes on two substrates, attaching the two substrates to each other with a gap therebetween, injecting a discharge gas therebetween and sealing the two substrates. A plasma display device is a flat display device including a PDP and mounting elements necessary for implementing a screen, such as a driving circuit connected to the electrodes of the PDP.
In the PDP, numerous pixels for displaying the screen are regularly arranged in a matrix. In the PDP, the pixels are driven by supplying voltages to the electrodes without an active element, that is, in a passive matrix manner. PDPs are classified as Direct Current (DC) PDPs and Alternating Current (AC) PDPs, depending on a voltage signal for driving the electrodes. Alternatively, PDPs are classified into facing type PDPs and surface discharge PDPs, depending on the arrangement of two electrodes to which a discharge voltage is supplied.
A surface light emitting source using a plasma discharge includes a Micro Discharge (MD) and a Micro Hollow Cathode Discharge (MNCD).
An open Micro Discharge (MD) PDP is composed of three layers: upper and lower electrode layers for receiving a voltage and a dielectric layer for forming a space between the upper and lower electrode layers. A plurality of perforated holes are formed in the upper and lower electrode layers and the dielectric layer. The upper and lower electrode layers are formed in a flat plate shape except for the perforated holes and are integrally formed. Accordingly, if at least a predetermined voltage is supplied across the upper and lower electrodes, a surface discharge is generated between the two electrode layers in the perforated holes. If the perforated holes have an adequate size, a stable and efficient plasma discharge can be generated in the perforated holes.
When the discharge is generated, light is emitted from the perforated holes. In general, phosphor layers for increasing emission efficiency are formed in the perforated holes and the MD PDP operates in a specific gas atmosphere. Such a MD PDP is a surface light source and can be used as a backlight source of non-self-luminous display device, such as a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD).
However, the MD PDP having the configuration noted above has the same shape as that of a typical capacitor having a dielectric inserted between two electrodes. Accordingly, when an AC voltage is supplied across the two electrode layers, power is unnecessarily consumed due to parasitic capacitances.
Since a stable and efficient plasma discharge can be generated in the perforated holes when the perforated holes have an adequate size, and since the MD PDP noted above has a shape similar to that of an initial matrix PDP, a PDP using a Micro Discharge (MD) structure may be tried to be manufactured.